


Playing Outside

by nicolai



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Childhood, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Other, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 08:36:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6045067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicolai/pseuds/nicolai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko knows he's supposed to be practicing, but his baby sister wants to play. Really, how was he supposed to resist?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Playing Outside

“Zuzu help!” Azula demanded with all the force a two year old could muster, which, in her case, was quite a lot; she wanted to go outside and play, but everyone was too busy to take her. She would have gone by herself, but the door was too heavy for her to push open alone. 

“Help with what, Azula?” Zuko looked over at his toddler sister in the doorway of his room, “I’m practicing forms like father said. I’m not allowed to stop until I get it right,” his voice was laced with frustration and sadness.

Azula stamped her foot on the ground, the sole of her tiny black shoe smacking loudly on the stone, “No! Help me now!” tiny hands went on hips and her face twisted into a scowl. 

Zuko knew he shouldn’t, he knew he’d get in trouble latter, but he couldn’t refuse her. Besides, an angry Azula wasn’t really any less scary than an angry Ozai. That’s what he’d tell himself, that it was just a smart decision, because things would be bad either way and she was the one here now. That probably wouldn’t work on his father though. The truth was that he wanted to see his baby sister smile, not scowl and stomp. “Okay, Azula, what do you need help with?” he smiled, going over to her. 

“Good Zuzu, we go outside and play now,” she reached for his hand and began leading him to the door. 

The praise felt a little weird, both coming from someone younger than him, and honestly being praised at all- he was a failure, so kind words were few and far between from his father. Who was the one who ever had a similar tone to the demanding one he’d come to expect from his sister. His uncle Iroh and mother were good to him, but never praised him the same way. “Thanks, Azula,” he grinned, perfectly content to follow her. 

Once they arrived at the infuriating door that had defied her she glared and pointed at it, “You open!” she commanded, crossing her arms to wait. 

Zuko chuckled a bit as he did what she said, pushing on the heavy door, it took a moment, but it yielded and the siblings made their way outside. 

After several games of tag and some playing in the grass, someone came and found them. Zuko had been right- he did get in trouble later for disobeying his father, but playing with his baby sister was more than worth it. Azula didn’t get in trouble because Zuko failed to mention that he’d told her what he was supposed to be doing instead. She was highly displeased that her big brother was punished for pleasing her, but she contented herself with daydreams of being the one who could decide such things and snuggling him afterwards.


End file.
